INSIDE THE BEARS.

Auditions '98 Slated To Begin

The goal of winning the next game remains solidly in place. But no team has ever gone to the playoffs with nine losses, so the Bears are beginning in earnest to play for the future as well as the present.

"I think you can do both and play a lot of people also," coach Dave Wannstedt said Monday.

Virtually every position on the field will likely see new faces at different times in the remaining six weeks of the season. Running back Darnell Autry, who had a breakout day with 59 yards in 13 carries Sunday, will continue to receive chances, and could see them as soon as this Sunday with Raymont Harris still hurting with a sore back.

"It's really a muscular thing where he got hit in the back," Wannstedt said. "It's a lot better today."

A preseason-style competition appears to be developing at right guard, where Chris Gray took over for Todd Burger at times in Minnesota, and will again, though Burger remains the starter.

Jimmy Herndon is expected to give tackles Andy Heck and James Williams some rest, and rookie tight end John Allred, who was in for a season-high 22 plays Sunday, will play more in place of Keith Jennings, who played 28.

The biggest question looms at quarterback, where Steve Stenstrom was elevated to No. 2 with the intention of getting him playing time.

"Quarterback is probably the only position (at which) we're not playing every backup and young player that we have," Wannstedt said.

"How that's going to unfold itself I'm not sure, but we need to get Steve some playing time. And I'd like to see Rick (Mirer) get some playing time before the end of the season.

"But we haven't gotten to the point where we're going to just say, `Steve, you're going to play the second quarter.' "

Free day: Wannstedt gave the players Monday off. "They practiced so hard last week that I just thought that today, to get away from it and give us a little more time to get on the Jets, would be good," Wannstedt said. "I just wanted to do it."

Showtime: WCKG-FM 105.9 personality Spike Manton tried to take Monday's Dave Wannstedt press conference in a somewhat different direction. "Kick-ass sweater," Manton said following a question about the possibility of Wannstedt resigning. Then he asked this question: "Does being 1-9 bite worse than Marv Albert?"

Manton was ejected from the press conference. Later, Lake Forest police Sgt. Michael Vukson said Manton came to the Lake Forest police station to file a report, saying he was "pushed out of the building (Halas Hall)."